Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-07-30
To Avenge Her Honor.
MAKES A CONFESSION.

bdWcCu. ilcHIy SPENCER WIS IOugeu
in Jail last evening, and to-day made
the following confession of the muir
der; | was born and raised in this
county, near Rawlings, and was &c
years old the 18th of last October.
Rachel V. Dawson, only daughter of
James Dawson, of this county, and !
grew up together. We were school.
mates, and always fond of each 9TH
er. When | was Is and she was l6
years old, Scott Dawson attempted
to rape her, beating and iniuring her
terribly. He was sentenced to the
penitentiary for six years and served
most of his time. swore | would
kill him for this deed; but, as he was
in the hands of the law, and / was
not yet married to Rachel, / put it
off, but always meant to get even for
the injuries to my sweetheart. /
married Rachel in 1882. We lived
first in Keyser, then moved to Raw.
lings, where our only child was born.
The boy died June IL, and his moth
er July Goth, 1884 These losses
nearly killed me. | was i'll for a
long time at Rachel's mothers house.
In September, 1884, | secured a po-
sition as brakeman on the second di-
vision of the b. 81 o, and made my
home at Martinsburg, where | stay
ed until 1885. While living in Mar
tinsburg, was tried for taking mon
ey from Lee Montgomery, but was
acquitted. After this | returned to
Rawlings. On the evening of the
day of the murder
WENT OUT TO KILL SCOTT
and avenge Rachel. 1 walked slow
ly, and it was about four clock when
| came to SCOTS house. A woman
was cleaning an iron pot in the stream
at the side of the house. Scott was
standing at the window next to the
stream inside the house. | spoke to
both of them, as this was the first
time / had seen them since March.
Scott asked me how / was, and / told
him / was not feeling well, and that
/ wanted to talk to him. He came
out of the house, and we walked out
towards the road, | did not want to
shoot him in sight of his wife. Scott
and I talked quietly about anything
till we reached the road. / stopped
in front of him, and, looking him
square in the tace, said:
"Scott, do you recollect the awful
crime that you served my wife? Why
did you do it, and what was your
reasons"
'.He replied, well, / don't know,
without it was the devil that made me
do it.'".
Then / said, Scott, don't you
know you done wrong? Don't you
think you deserve killing?"
HE said, i don't know but what /
do"
81 then said, Scott, that's my bus
mess here to-day, and / mean to kill
you before i leave the ground, or die
here beside you"
"He looked scared and condemned.
/ then drew my pistol and shot him
in the left breast. was close to him
and he fell backwards with a groan.
AS he attempted to get up / shot him
a second time in the face, and | think
HE SANK BACK DEAD.
III then cried out aloud, 'if any
body will come here, | will tell why
/ done it, No one came, so / walk
ed three hundred yards towards the
station, but came back to make sure
of my revenge. | saw no one near
the body, and, as he was stone dead,
/ went on to the station to give my
self up to the proper authorities.
When Mr. Houck came went with
him quietly, bat ! would never have
been taken alive by those d COW.
ards about Rawlings. AS for Con-
stable Bier and that set, they were
afraid to come near me, but hid in
the corn on the hill with their shot
guns | never told my wife or any
one of my determination to kill
Dawson, but whenever she complain
ed of her head hurting her where
Scott had hit her with stones, my
vengeance seemed to sweeten. / had
not been drinking enough to hurt me
yesterday, and had my sober and
right mind as ever / had. While /
regret having to do this crime, i was
compelled to do it, and felt | must
have my revenge before / died, and
now j feel better satisfied that it is
over. 1t was hard thing to do, but
| had to do it,"
"Scott and ! never quarreled. /
knew | would kill him some day. /
shot at the darkey down at the sta
tion simply to scare him, but he had
the best nerve | ever saw, and didn't
! finch.